U.S. Presidential Election 2008

U.S. Presidential Election 2008 - Berlin-Brandenburg School Project

A joint program of LISUM and the U.S. Embassy

Contact: Landesinstitut für Schule und Medien Berlin-Brandenburg (LISUM)
Eva Weinert
Referentin Englisch Sek I und II
Abteilung II: Unterrichtsentwicklung
14974 Ludwigsfelde-Struveshof

Tel.: +49 (3378) 209 133
Fax: +49 (3378) 209 319
E-Mail: eva.weinert@lisum.berlin-brandenburg.de

Registration: Pl. register with LISUM for this program (pl. see attached registration form or go to http://www.lisum.berlin-brandenburg.de/).
Veranstaltungsnummer: 08L221602

Background: In November 2008, the United States of America will elect a new President. During their party conventions in August and September, the Democratic and Republican party will decide on their respective candidate. Audiences at home and abroad have been following the decision making process with great interest.

Leading up to the Presidential Election 2008, the U.S. Embassy in cooperation with LISUM would like to invite Berlin and Brandenburg schools to participate in a school program involving a teacher training seminar and a two-week school project.

I. The teacher training seminar will focus on the elections and the electoral process. Speaker will be Darrell West, Professor of Political Science at Brown University.
The seminar will focus on the following topics:
Part I: The current elections, platforms, candidates, issues
Part II: Idiosyncrasies of the U.S. electoral system: a review
Part III: A Lesson Plan (prepared by LISUM)
Part IV: Additional program offers

Participating teachers/schools will be assigned a specific state and receive information materials on the elections, candidates and political background information on their adopted state. Schools with a partner school in a U.S. state should indicate their preference when registering for the project.

Venue: U.S. Embassy, Pariser Platz (tbc.)
Date and time: Friday, September 19, 15:00-18:00

PLEASE BRING A VALID I.D. FOR IDENTIFICATION AND POSSIBLY LEAVE YOUR CELL PHONE AT HOME.

II. The school project will involve teachers and students in a project during which they will focus on one particular state, researching and discussing the political landscape and election history of that state. On the basis of their research and discussions the students should be able to make a well-founded prediction about how this state will most likely vote in November. The goal of this project is to provide a deeper understanding of

democratic processes in the U.S.
political issues on a national and state level
election data and party and candidate platforms.

Dates: between October 1 and 17, 2008

Program guidelines: The guidelines developed by LISUM will include a core program to be worked on by each school. Optional activities will be added for advanced classes. A “Klausur” will end the project. The guidelines will also contain information on how to connect the project with all current themes of semesters 1 and 3 in both Berlin and Brandenburg (from the respective curricula).

III. Election Day: Two student delegates of each participating school and their teacher are invited to the U.S. Embassy to represent “their” state in a discussion with an American expert on the elections.
Date: Election Day, November 4, 11:00-13:00.
Participating teachers will receive detailed information on this event.

IV. Additional Program Offers:
School outreach: Embassy representatives and other selected American speakers are prepared to visit schools or speak to several groups in a central location.
Registration: Pl. register with Heike Mead, U.S. Embassy
MeadHS@state.gov

Research & Information:
The Information Resource Center will put together information materials on the elections and the prospective states. These information packages will be used by LISUM to draft the lesson plan for the program. The IRC will also offer assistance to the participating schools.

In a short info session during the seminar, IRC and Amerika-Gedenkbibliothek staff will present information materials in the package and additional available resources.

The Amerika-Gedenkbibliothek will offer materials and research facilities for participating school groups. On October 7, October 8, and October 16 the library will hold "Information Competencies Teaser Courses" for participating students.
Place: Amerika Gedenkbibliothek, Blücherplatz , 10961 Berlin im Bereich Artothek
Time: 10:00-11:30
Dates: Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2008
Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2008
Thursday, Oct. 16, 2008
Groups: up to 15 students
Contact: Pl. check the Amerika-Gedenkbibliothek website for details: http://www.zlb.de/.
Staff of the library will also discuss their program offer at the teacher seminar on September 19.